they are looking at modifying the government's welfare program. >> questions for the prime minister.

several people have crossed the land border so far.

we flew in tents -- i can tell the house that today, the u.k. option would airlift several thousands of people back to egypt at the tunisian boulder with the first flight later -- border, with the first flight later today. i am glad britain can play such an important part in doing that. >> mr. speaker, can i join the prime minister in a tribute regarding the nine regiments logistics course? they both showed enormous heroes and encourage and our thoughts are with their family and friends. i would like to pass on the condolences for those affected by the earthquake.

we're looking at the national development secretary. we want to deal with the united nations high commission for refugees in dealing with a growing refugee emergency on the libyan border. >> i thank the gentleman for his questions. in addition to steps enacted during the tunisian border, something is docked somethingben ghazi. he asked specifically about helping with many organizations. we are in close touch with them. we are delighted that we did -- we will coordinate the effort in

palestine. we will do everything we can to coordinate this effort. we have many tents and the equipment in dubai. we are doing everything we can to ease the problems at the border and make sure the emergency does not turn into a crisis. >> i thank you for that reply. we both agreed on monday that these national communities must take practical steps. there was the idea of a no-fly zone. can the prime minister clarify where the proposal now stands? >> our first priority as a country is to evacuate our fellow countrymen from libya. there are very few who want to lead a citizen there. the second thing we must do is

put every available pressure on the libyan regime. we have done that. we must keep looking for other ways in which we can pressurize the regime. what i was saying on monday and what i will say again today is that i think that to prepare for all of eventualities if colonel gaddafi unleashes more on the people. i think we should and we are looking at plans for a no-fly zone. clinton said a no-fly zone is an option that we are considering. these issues are being discussed in the north atlantic council this morning. >> i am sure the prime minister will agree of the sanctions that will occur in the community. we must strive for this in any future decisions we must make.

after he spoke about the no-fly zone, the government issued a redundancy notes regarding the personnel. can he reassure the house and the country that any increase in our military commitments that he is talking about, including africa can be met when we are discussing the capabilities? >> let me be clear. it is never easy to reduce the number in our armed forces. this government decided to hold a strategic defense review. we have not had one for 12 years in this country. a state of complete chaos has occurred. the outcome, the background of the defense review is an enormous black hole in our nation's finances. it is aimed to make sure that we have flexible, well-equipped borders around the world.

that is exactly what i believe we will be able to do. >> next on the waiting list should be this. massive animal we attainments and practices -- annual retainments -- the contract should go under the knife? >> a very good point. we inherited the pmi program. the private sector will spend a lot on those contracts. we have to examine all of these contracts. here are some examples of the nonsense that we have inherited. 330 pounds to change a hospital light switch.

another 63 pounds for a new tv areas in a hospital. we need to look at this. >> thanks, mr. speaker. of the politics show, one person said that he would ensure that every neighborhood in london would keep its services and that he had the power to guarantee it. police officers have already told my constituents that they have been merged and there is one police officer. are they serving police officers?

[unintelligible] i estimate one-third of effort is of additional value. it is unaffordable in the climate. we need to save time and energy. we inherited a police service completely inefficient in so many areas. >> once they have lost their and -- >> i think the general makes a good point.

-- they are adamant that there are no need for cuts. it is shopping 13 of its 16 -- >> we have made reductions. we inherited a complete mess. what we have done is we have asked every single authority to make public the spending it does so they can make sure they are cutting bureaucracy, and balances, pay -- the entire country refuses to do so.

[unintelligible] what are the cuts being made? he is cutting the budget. it shows an 11% cut. he is not just cutting the budget, but he is testing those open protecting the budget. we are getting used to the prime minister's questions. we have seen its on housing on housing benefits. why don't we dump this policy and this one as well. why does he not reinstate [unintelligible] >> in a minute, he is going to

give me a lesson on family loyalty. [laughter] >> let me say this to the gentleman. he comes here every week and says he opposes changes in the office and to the local government. in four weeks' time, his own cuts program comes into place. 14 billion pounds of cuts. starting in four weeks' time. we need to get off of this bandwagon. >> this is the guy that has made a career out of opportunism knocks. he was totally committed. if anyone suggested otherwise,

it was an absolute disgrace. people know he has got it in his power to stop it from happening by reinforcing the nonsense. he is the prime minister. he may not look like it, but why don't you get a grip. >> what we are doing to the children in this country is we are funding education on both side. we are criticizing him for something that he did not do for several years. >> when the party opposite -- >> i want to get to the bottom

of the order paper. >> i think when the party opposition says, brother where art thou? >> these members met this morning, we leave that we -- we learn that on his way to work, he was killed. he was committed to reconciliation. will my right honorable friend said his skin -- condolences? and will meet re-state that there is no place for this kind of action anywhere in a democratic world? >> >> it was absolutely shocking

news to hear this morning about this minister killed in this way, absolutely brutal and unacceptable. this is what a huge problem we have in a world with intolerance, and i think what he said is absolutely right. i will send not only our condolences to the people of pakistan that this is unacceptable. >> two weeks ago, there were some figures given to criticize the flexible new deal. their response says, and i quote, this is a misleading interpretation of statistics. in the future, can you get someone to check the figures? >> i can assure the honorable

gentleman that the figures were properly checks, and i shall write him a letter outlining not only the figures for the flexible new deal, which so many people know was just a revolving door for young people needed employment, but i will also add in the figures for the future jobs funds, which costs five times as much as many other programs. >> john glen. >> with the police using 2000 different i.t. systems employing 50,000 -- 5000 staff, is it not time for this government to start reforming police practices, so that more resources can be devoted to fighting crime on the front line? >> my honorable friend makes an extremely important point. the british police are incredibly brave and professional, and all of us see how hard they work in our communities, but there are let

down by a system that has far too many officers in back office roles, in a jar and in i.t., and they are not on the streets. that is what needs to change. >> mr. gregory campbell. >> the armed forces have our total support and admiration. traditionally, they would have looked into a conservative government, whether in good economic times or bad, to defend them as they defend us. given the deplorable treatment that they are currently receiving, whether by email or by hard copy, what plans does he have to restore faith in the government? >> what i would say to the honorable gentleman, i think everyone in the house appreciates that our armed forces are among the most break and professional anywhere in the world, and we can be incredibly proud of what they do, and in terms of making sure that we do look after them, this government has introduced a doubling of the operational allowance for all those serving in afghanistan.

we are the first government in the history to introduce a pupil premium so that the children of service personnel get extra money when they go to school. we are making sure that the rest and recuperation lead is properly formed, and we are writing out, the military covenant and properly referencing it in the law. most importantly, to have a defense review and to make sure that our forces are fit for that future, and at the end of that defense review, we will have the fourth largest military budget in the world, some of the most capable weapons that any air force in the world could have, the new type 45 destroyers, our nuclear deterrent, and a superb professional army, and that is what we want in this country, and that is what this government will support. >> andruw jones. >> will the prime minister join me in encouraging schools in my constituency and right across the country to get involved in the tenner tycoon school

business competition, which encourages enterprise and is running this month? >> yes, it sounds like an excellent skiing. i think it is a very important part to a rounded education. >> sheila delmore. >> on sunday, a woman asked me what politicians were going to do for people like her, and she had been waiting for a disability living allowance appeal for 11 months. more assessments in dla. what plans does the prime minister have for expanding the tribunals service, and has this been fully costed in his welfare reform? >> the house will have an opportunity to debate welfare reform, which is one of the most complex and detailed pieces of legislation on reforming our welfare system. on terms of dla, we are looking to make sure that people have a proper assessment of it, because

there are too many cases where people need it and do not get it, and, regrettably, some cases where people do not need it and to get it, and we need to do that right. >> sir peter tapsell. >> while we must clearly do everything that we can to help me -- the non-libyans who are seeking to get out of the country, maybe hope that the libyans will be allowed to determine the face of gaddafi -- the fate of.be? >> i very much hope that they do, and we should support and say how much we admire those brave people who are standing up in their own country, asking for greater reforms and greater democracy, for things we take for granted in our own country. what has been striking is that although many said that any sort of rebellion like this would be

extremist, or is lomb's, or tribal, it is none of those things. >> graeme morrice. >> last week, save the children published research showing that 1.6 million children are living in severe poverty in the united kingdom. yet this week, the government has failed to include low-income families in the warm-time discount scheme for rebates on their energy bills. will the prime minister's me to save the children on its critical issue and ask the chancellor to publish an emergency plan to tackle some of your child poverty in the budget and the child poverty strategy later this month? >> i do see save the children regularly. it is an excellent organization in terms of the work that it does overseas and pressure that it rightly brings to bear here in this country. what we have done in trying to help the child poverty is to make sure that we massively increase the child tax credit, and while we are making difficult decisions, child poverty has not increased.

>> gareth johnson. >> the welfare state has been too easily abused. can the prime minister assure the house that in the future, the welfare state will act as a safety net for the unfortunate and not as a way of life for the work-shy? >> what this government is doing, and it is a historic reform, is making sure that the welfare state always means that it is worthwhile someone being in work and worth while someone working more. i think you'll make a huge difference to welfare in this country. >> teresa pearce. >> many of the poorest and most disadvantaged children in my constituency will not be included in the people premium based on their parents still waiting. they are not eligible for preschool meals -- free school meals. will the prime minister meet with myself and others in the

constituencies like mine to discuss a way to capture these children to ensure that our skills -- schools are not underfunded? >> i think the honorable lady makes an important point. we did actually have a number of discussions to try to work of the best places to put it on, and in the short term, i think the free school meals indicate what the best basis is. i am very happy to arrange a meeting between her and my right honorable friend the education secretary to see what we can do to make sure that we really are targeting those most in need. perhaps not this year, but in the future, to make sure the people premium is helping those who most needed. >> stephen williams. >> yesterday, the secretary of state for transport made a most welcome announcement for the electrification of the great western mainlined to bristol, cardiff, and south wales.

does this not show the coalition government that we not only a strategy for growth but that division for growth is both high-tech and green? >> the previous government never to electrify the west coast may line up to cardiffs. the good news is, the good news is is not just the electrification of the line to cardiffs. it is also the new factory in newton aycliffe, and also going ahead with high-speed 2. >> the united kingdom is paying things to libya. it was both loose-tongued and reckless? >> i am very grateful for this question, mr. speaker. the point is, getting people out of libya, we did have to pay some payments for the services in the airport. i am sure they are entirely

proper. >> mr. philip hollobone. >> ok it has been made quite clear that it does not accept the government's present proposal for an annual armed forces, the report honors that promise. will my right honorable friend the prime minister work constructively with the royal british legion to agree to a definition of the military covenant that can be enshrined in legislation? >> i am very happy to work with the royal british legion korea they are one of the most hard- working organizations anywhere in our country. they do not just a great job in lobbying for the armed forces. they also are looking after the former service personnel. i am very happy to have that conversation. but what i want to make sure is that not only reference properly the covenant that we regularly debate it, improve it, and

enhance it through debate. >> mr. nigel dodds. >> i think the prime minister and the secretary of state for northern ireland for their work in securing the extra 200 million pounds for the police service of northern ireland to combat the dissident terrorist threat. given our campaign for compensation for the ira victims of libyan state-sponsored terrorism, can the prime minister give us an assurance that before the normalization of relations with libya under any new regime, this outstanding matter of compensation will be addressed by the government, not least perhaps by the use of gaddafi assets seized in britain? >> well, first of all, i think he will gentleman for what he said about the additional funding for the police in northern ireland, because it is absolutely vital that we work hard with the administration to ensure the security situation there is as good as it possibly can be. the terms of what he says about compensation from the libyans to

victims of ira terror, there is a unit working on that issue, and i think it is vitally important to go on doing that. it is an ingenious idea to use the frozen assets in that way. i have to say, having sought advice, i think those assets really do belong to the libyan people, and i think the whole problem with libya is that it is a rich country with poor people, and i think we can see that in terms of the extensive assets that have been frozen, and those are assets that belong to the libyan people first and foremost. >> mark lancaster. >> milton keynes council has been praised for its commitment to publish all expenditures of more than 500 pounds. what message will the prime minister give to other local authorities? >> they are embarrassed about this, because we of transparency now from every single council in the country, apart from one that

is controlled by the labor party, nottingham, which will not tell us where it is spending money. i want every single person in our country, every single member of parliament, all of the counselors, he to be able to ensure that the money is going on services and not on salaries, bureaucracy, and allowances. that is the pressure at a time of austerity and a difficult national decisions. how typical is of them to cover it up. >> richard burden. >> delighted with the level of cuts being faced by birmingham. yesterday, their city council cut to the hundred 12 million pounds from its budget, hitting care for the elderly and disabled and youth services. does the prime minister share the secretaries to light, where does he think that birmingham is going too far, too fast? >> every country prepared --

every council is having to take decisions. it is going back to the level they had in 2007 or in 2006, or in some cases, even 2009. everyone has to take part in this, and i would just remind the right honorable the gentleman that the reason this is being done is because his party made a complete mess of the economy. >> mr. robert buckland. >> at a time when prices at >> at a time when prices at the petrol pumps are going up and up, will the government do all that they can to ease the pressure on hard-pressed motorists? >> my hon. friend makes an extremely good point. i know how difficult it is for motorists, and particularly for small businesses and families, small businesses and families, when they are filling up at the